Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
09:18
Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
Radionuclide emissions from a coal-fired power plant
Y M Amin1, Mayeen Uddin Khandaker, A K S Shyen
1Department of Physics, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
Summary
Radioactivity from coal ash, including radium, thorium, and potassium, was measured around a power plant. Higher levels were found in a nearby town, indicating potential health risks from TENORM-affected soils.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Nuclear Chemistry
- Public Health
Background:
- Coal-fired power plants release radionuclides.
- Bituminous coal combustion generates bottom ash and slag.
- Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) can be concentrated in industrial byproducts, becoming technologically enhanced NORM (TENORM).
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure radioactivity levels in soil and bottom ash surrounding a coal-fired power plant.
- To assess the distribution and potential risks of radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th, 40K) in the environment.
- To evaluate the human health implications of exposure to TENORM in the vicinity of the plant.
Main Methods:
- Gamma-ray spectrometry was used to quantify radionuclide concentrations.
- Measurements were taken at the power plant, its perimeter, and a nearby town.
- Radium equivalent activity (Raeq) was calculated to assess overall radioactivity.
Main Results:
- Bottom ash contained 139 Bq/kg (226Ra), 108 Bq/kg (232Th), and 291 Bq/kg (40K).
- Radionuclide levels in soil decreased with distance from the plant, but were elevated in the nearby town (104 Bq/kg 226Ra, 52 Bq/kg 232Th, 358 Bq/kg 40K).
- Mean Raeq in the town's soil and ash were 205 Bq/kg and 316 Bq/kg, respectively, exceeding world averages and indicating significant TENORM contamination from ash/slag mixed with soil.
Conclusions:
- The coal power plant's ash and slag exhibit higher TENORM levels than the global average.
- Contamination is significantly higher in the town due to the use of slag in landfills and domestic waste.
- Predicted committed effective doses from ingestion and inhalation range from 4.2 μSv to 220 μSv over 1 to 30 years, highlighting a potential public health concern.
Related Concept Videos
03:23Types of Radioactivity
The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
03:18Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations
Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element.
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
02:36Nuclear Power
Controlled nuclear fission reactions are used to generate electricity. Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of uranium or plutonium by bombardment with neutrons has six components: nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material, a nuclear moderator, a neutron source, control rods, reactor coolant, and a shield and containment system.
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they produce ions...
02:48Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
Radioactivity is a spontaneous disintegration of an unstable nuclide and is a random process, as all the nuclei in the sample do not decay simultaneously. The number of disintegrations per unit time is called the activity (A), which is directly proportional to the number of nuclei in the sample. The decay constant (λ) is an average probability of decay per nucleus in unit time.
02:50Nuclear Fission
Many heavier elements with smaller binding energies per nucleon can decompose into more stable elements that have intermediate mass numbers and larger binding energies per nucleon—that is, mass numbers and binding energies per nucleon that are closer to the “peak” of the binding energy graph near 56. Sometimes neutrons are also produced. This decomposition of a large nucleus into smaller pieces is called fission. The breaking is rather random with the formation of a large number of different...